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Photo: Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
Those who want to embrace their inner pop, R&B, country or rock star will have a unique opportunity to impress their friends with “Full Contact Karaoke” at the Iroquois Amphitheater on three nights this summer.
Full Contact Karaoke allows a participant to take the stage with a live band to sing their favorite song. The song menu includes hits from Journey, OutKast, Katy Perry, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Chris Stapleton and dozens more. The full song catalog can be found at http://www.fullcontactkaraokeband.com.
The three dates begin with a Friday, June 16 show at the 2,300-seat amphitheater, located just off New Cut Road outside Iroquois Park.
The show will return on Friday, July 14 and again on Friday, August 11. Admission is $5. Gates open at 6:30 and tickets can be purchased at the door, or online at iroquoisamphitheater.com. A full range of refreshments, including alcoholic beverages, are available at the Amphitheater.
“This is the perfect opportunity to get together with a group of friends and to have a party without doing all the planning,” said Mike Hallett, manager of the Iroquois Amphitheater. “For anyone who’s ever dreamed of playing a gig at the Amphitheater, these three nights are going to be a lot of fun.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
Mayor Greg Fischer and Metro Councilmen Stuart Benson (D-20), Robin Engel (D-22) and Kevin Kramer (D-11) participated in a ribbon-cutting yesterday to formally open the newly renovated picnic shelter in Charlie Vettiner Park, located in southeast Louisville.
The shelter project, which cost $370,000 to finish in its entirety, includes the new shelter on Chenoweth Park Lane, a new retaining wall, decorative fencing, new electrical outlets and water fountains. The shelter also provides a scenic view over an adjacent pond.
The funding for the project came from city general fund dollars as well as support from Benson, whose district the park resides in, Engel and Kramer.
“The summer is off to a great start for families and kids in the area, and it’s easy to see this new, spacious, modern shelter becoming THE place in southeast Louisville for birthday parties, family reunions, picnics and community events,” Mayor Fischer said. “I’d like to thank Councilmen Benson, Engel and Kramer for supporting the creation of this great new amenity in Vettiner that’s sure to see a lot of use.”
“With nearly 300 acres of open space, Charlie Vettiner Park is one of our community’s great assets. I am proud to have the support of neighboring Councilmembers Kevin Kramer, Robin Engel and our Metro Council colleagues as we have worked, since 2006, to secure annual funding for this latest improvement to the park,” Councilman Benson.
To reserve the shelter, the public can call the Metro Parks and Recreation permits office at the Iroquois Amphitheater at (502) 368-5865.
Councilwoman Cindi Fowler (D-14) has a great way for families and senior citizens to cool off this summer at the Sun Valley Pool beginning on Tuesday, June 13th.
“I am happy to again sponsor FREE Family Swim Nights on Tuesdays and Senior Citizen Swims on Thursday mornings during the summer,” says Fowler. “It’s a great way for everyone to cool off from the summer heat, spend time with your family and enjoy some exercise at one of the greatest pools we have in Metro Louisville.”
This year, the extended swim hours for the Sun Valley Pool will run from June 13th through July 27th.
Here is this year’s schedule:
FAMILY SWIM NIGHTS
- Tuesdays, June 13th – July 25th; 6:00-8:00pm
SENIOR CITIZEN SWIMS
- Thursdays, July 6th – July 27th; 11:00am – 1:00pm
Please Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult all times.
No drop-offs or unattended children will be permitted.
There will also be a special Summer Bash Pool Party Hosted by Councilwoman Fowler on Tuesday, August 4th as a way to bring summer fun to a close and get ready for a new school year.
“This is a great way to get away from the TV, the IPad or video games to enjoy a summer night, and get caught up on things between parents and their kids,” says Fowler. “You might also find that the Sun Valley Community Center is a great place offering different types of programs all year round.”
The Sun Valley Community Center and Pool is located at 6505 Bethany Lane.
For more information about this summer fun at Sun Valley, contact Councilwoman Fowler’s Office at 574-1114
The Louisville Metro Syringe Exchange Program will mark its two-year anniversary tomorrow.
Kentucky’s first syringe exchange program began in a mobile unit outside of Public Health and Wellness headquarters at 400 E. Gray St. on June 10, 2015. Since then, the program has been moved into renovated space inside and expanded to include three neighborhood sites. The exchange is open six days a week on Gray Street, and each of the neighborhood sites is open one day per week.
The demand for the Louisville Metro Syringe Exchange Program has far exceeded expectations. Originally budgeted for about 500 participants per year, the program had served 10,639 participants by the end of May 2017 and referred more than 347 to drug treatment. The ratio of syringes distributed versus exchanged remains at less than 2:1.
Additionally, since it began, the Louisville Metro Syringe Exchange Program has:
- Conducted 800 HIV tests and referred 18 individuals for medical treatment and support services;
- Conducted 691 Hepatitis C tests and referred 368 individuals for medical treatment;
- Provided overdose prevention training and naloxone kits to 995 participants and their family members or friends.
“From a public health perspective, the greatest benefit of any syringe exchange program is reducing the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis C and other infectious diseases, as well as increasing access to substance abuse treatment,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, medical director of the Department of Public Health and Wellness. “We are very grateful to our state legislative delegation, to Mayor Greg Fischer and the Metro Council, the Board of Health and to the entire Louisville community for the support they have shown over the past two years.”
The Louisville Metro Syringe Exchange Program was begun primarily to protect the community against a potential outbreak of such blood-borne diseases as HIV and Hepatitis C spread by needle sharing among injection drug users. The neighboring community of Austin, Ind., with a population of about 4,200 and just 35 miles north of Louisville, had seen 181 new HIV cases the prior year and approximately 155 new Hepatitis C cases as a result of needle sharing. In a city the size of Louisville, that would have translated to more than 31,600 new HIV cases and approximately 27,100 new Hepatitis C cases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “lifetime treatment cost of a single case of HIV infection is $379, 668; the costs of treating the patients who contracted HIV and Hepatitis C in Scott County (Austin), Indiana over the next decades are expected to approach $90 million.”
In 2015 Kentucky enacted legislation allowing local health departments to operate substance abuse outreach programs, which include syringe exchange programs. The Louisville Metro Council then adopted an ordinance to approve operating a syringe exchange program for the city, and the Louisville Metro Board of Health approved the exchange.
“Addressing the heroin epidemic effectively requires a multidisciplinary approach. Harm reduction interventions like the Louisville Syringe Exchange Program are an important part of that approach,” said Moyer.
In an effort to show how easy it is to get around on a bike or on foot on one of Metro Louisville’s most popular streets, Frankfort Avenue will become a paved park for the next CycLOUvia event set for Sunday, June 11th.
“CycLOUvia is a great opportunity to remind ourselves that we can live without our cars from time to time and still traverse our neighborhoods,” says Councilman Bill Hollander (D-9). “Fortunately, more people are becoming aware of that fact, which makes our citizens healthier and our neighborhoods greener.”
CycLOUvia will take place between Pope Street and Stilz Avenue between 2:00pm and 6:00pm with cross traffic allowed at Ewing Avenue. During that time, no cars will be allowed and bicycles, pedestrians, skaters, and strollers will take over The Avenue.
The Crescent Hill Library will be open from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. during this special event, with staff paid for by the Citizens of District 9. Many businesses along The Avenue till have special offerings.
For more information about CycLOUvia on Frankfort Avenue, contact Councilman Hollander’s office at 574-1109.
Design by Emily Keller; photo by Kory Johnson Photography.
A new bourbon tasting experience is coming to Louisville. Sour Mash Tours launched Saturday, May 27, in Nulu.
Each tour features samples of at least nine brands at local bars and restaurants, including Feast BBQ, Galaxie, Rye and Taj. The tours offer an expansive and interactive tasting experience, all while getting guests acquainted with a Louisville neighborhood known for its unique bourbon history.
“With all the excitement surrounding bourbon in Louisville, we realized there wasn’t anything out there that combined the bourbon tasting experience with some of our great bourbon bars,” said co-founder Andy Huenefeld.
Tastings are conducted with a lineup of spirits expertly curated to maximize the experience. For example, guests may taste rye-heavy bourbons at one bar and wheated bourbons at another. Bourbon beginners can use the tour to discover some favorite styles and brands while connoisseurs can further refine their palates by practicing picking out subtle differences and flavor profiles.
“Our goal with Sour Mash Tours is to show folks the best part of the distilleries — the bourbon — while exploring one of Louisville’s most vibrant neighborhoods,” said co-founder Dillon Miles, who used to give tours at Jim Beam Distillery.
The guides focus on the various steps in the distilling process and how they impact the taste of the product. Each tour attendee will receive a tasting booklet for notes and to mark their favorites.
Sour Mash Tours chose Nulu for its great selection of bourbon bars and walkability, but hopes to bring tours to other parts of Louisville in the future.
“There are so many great bourbons and bars in our city to explore,” said Danielle Huenefeld, co-founder and chief marketing officer.
Sour Mash Tours are offered each Saturday starting at 2pm in Nulu. The team also offers happy hours and private event tastings. To book an event, visit www.sourmashtours.com/tour-schedule.
Photo: JCPS
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has kicked off its Summer Food Service Program, offering free nutritionally balanced meals to children and teens to help prevent the nutritional ‘summer slide.’ The free breakfasts and lunches are available Monday through Friday at 127 sites throughout the summer.
“We know that making sure young people maintain a healthy diet is a key factor in how much they retain of what they’ve learned,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens said. “The summer food program helps ensure that a nutritious meal is readily available throughout the county, and at locations that make it easy for young people to access.”
The program operates at open sites—which serve meals to any child on a first-come, first-served basis—and at certain camps and summer programs. Participants can also get a meal at the JCPS Bus Stop Café, a converted school bus that travels to sites where young people typically gather, such as parks and pools. The program is open to anyone age 18 or under, regardless of whether they attend a JCPS school.
“JCPS is proud to sponsor the USDA Summer Food Service Program,” JCPS Nutrition Services Director Julia Bauscher said. “This program helps all children in Jefferson County have a healthy, fun summer. We hope that children will join us for summer meals at one of our 120-plus sites!”
Families can find a site near them by texting “FOOD” to 877877, checking the school menu section of the JCPS mobile app or by visiting JCPS.Nutrislice.com.
Last year, JCPS served 104,689 breakfasts and 178,121 lunches throughout the summer as part of its free Summer Food Service Program. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
